Traveling with your pet? Doctor Young explains what you need to know before you go!

Traveling with your pet?  Doctor Young explains what you need to know before you go!

Planning a family trip or relocation with your pet? Whether your beloved pet is feathered, furred, hairy, or covered in scales, most states and countries have special requirements to bring pets along.

Knowing these special requirements well in advance of a trip can prevent delays and heartache; a pet not meeting the travel requirements can be denied entry to the state or country, quarantined at the owner's expense, or incur other unexpected expenses or procedures.

The Veterinarian - Pet Owner Team:

Well before you plan on traveling with your pet, it is important to seek out a USDA-Accredited veterinarian and schedule an exam.  During this exam the veterinarian will inspect your pet for specific things to establish whether or not they can meet the sometimes strict requirements of the official travel documents.  I [Dr. Young] am accredited in Category I animals (dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, reptiles, and pocket pets).  Getting accredited with the USDA requires vets to go through a training process and exam which is followed by continuing education requirements to maintain the accreditation.

Livestock (pet pigs and goats included), zoo animals, birds (including pet birds), horses, and farm-raised aquatic animals require a Category II accredited veterinarian. This is due to special testing and their potential to transmit diseases capable of destroying food supply and agricultural economies.  As we generally do not see these sorts of patients, we do not currently have a Category II accredited veterinarian on staff.

Your veterinarian will guide you through the required documents, tests, vaccinations, and pre-arrival treatments or procedures to help make travel as smooth as possible for you and your pets!

With each state and country having very different, changing requirements - which are often challenging to interpret -  our veterinary team can be a valuable partner in finding information, answers, contacts, and peace of mind!

While many people search the requirements online and believe that they meet them, the requirements can change very frequently and many websites feature out-of-date requirements.  For this reason, we don’t list any specific requirements here and instead offer some links to outside websites.

Pet Travel Basics:

1. Find out travel requirements for pets BEFORE booking the trip

      A. Each state and country require different things, learn what is necessary for each place through which you will travel

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel

      B. Airlines may require their own documents apart from those required by the destination state/country

Pet Travel Checklist PDF

Pet Travel Flier USDA

2. Schedule a consult and exam with your veterinarian as soon as you know you’re traveling with your pet

      A. We can set up a timeline for requirements

      B. We can make sure pet is healthy for travel

      C. We can address any health concerns or behavior concerns (anxiety in car or airplane)

                 AVMA Pet Travel Videos

          1. https://youtu.be/yUPqTq0cD6U

          2. https://youtu.be/7F5hXTpsGjY

          3. https://youtu.be/tKnrj1mPr-U

3. Be aware of health risks at your destination

     A. Parasites and infectious diseases

http://www.petsandparasites.org

https://www.capcvet.org/expert-articles/parasites-and-traveling-pets/

     B. Heatstroke or frostbite potential

     C. Poisonous wildlife, insects, and plants

http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-owners/

http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/10-snakes-spiders-and-other-creatures-that-are-dangerous-to-your-dog-and-cat

Additional Resources:

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/pet-travel-info-and-guidance-document/pet-travel-faq

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/pet-travel-info-and-guidance-document/pet-travel-endorsement

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/service-centers-endorsement-offices/vs-service-center-state-contact/florida

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/pet-travel-info-and-guidance-document/steps-to-obtain-intl-health-certificate

https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Traveling-with-Your-Pet-FAQs.aspx

https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/CVI/pages/traveling-dog-cat.aspx

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